James Hunter Crossley

Handpan showroom in Fulham, London

Try a handpan in London: London Handpan Academy

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James Hunter Crossley runs the London Handpan Academy in Fulham, which he opened together with Malte Marten, and a sound healing school where he trains gong practitioners. He plays handpan at weddings, galleries and other events, and teaches beginners on the D Kurd, including his own Core Handpan Method course.

At the start of a class they can't play anything, and by the end all the students are playing together. Seeing that progress is the most rewarding part.

James Hunter Crossley, London Handpan Academy

YataoPans you can play here

Models on request: tell us which YataoPans you would like to try, and we will send them ahead of your appointment.

Trying a handpan at London Handpan Academy

Lessons at the academy follow a clear path: first touch and a clean tone, then chords, then rhythms and grooves, then melody. At the end of a beginner course everyone combines all three and plays together, which James calls the best part. His honest tip: a clean sound takes some patience, so the striking technique comes first.

Models on request: tell us which YataoPans you would like to try, and we will send them to the academy ahead of your appointment. Visits by appointment only.

Questions for James

I have no musical experience. Can I still learn at the academy?

Yes. James says this is the most common worry among his students, and many of them start from zero. Plan for a little patience: a clean sound comes first, everything else builds on it.

Which scale does James teach on?

The D Kurd. There is a lot of learning material for it, and it is the easiest scale if you want to play with others.

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